Al-Ettifaq will take on Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in their Saudi Pro League opener on Monday at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam. It is expected to be a sell-out crowd, and the atmosphere will be electric. Al-Nassr will be the favorites to win, but Al-Ettifaq will be determined to give them a good fight.
Al-Nassr finished second, five points behind the champions, in the title race last season and will be desperate to add the league trophy to their cabinet. Ronaldo clinched his first silverware with the Saudi club on Sunday, as he picked up a brace to help the team beat AL-Hilal in the Arab Club Champions Cup final. Their opponents Al-Ettifaq finished seventh in the standings last season but would like nothing better than to beat the favourites in the first game of the season.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Nassr kick-off time
| Date: | August 14, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 2pm EDT |
| Venue: | Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium |
The game between Al-Ettifaq and Al-Nassr will be played at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium on Monday. Kick-off is at 2pm EDT for fans in the UK.
How to watch Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Nassr online - TV channels & live streams
 | FS2 | Watch here |
 | FOX Deportes | Watch here |
 | FOX | Watch here |
The Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Nassr fixture will be shown live on FS2, FOX and FOX Deportes in the United States. Match highlights will be shown after the full-time whistle and live updates can be accessed here on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Al-Ettifaq team news
New boss Steven Gerrard will be looking forward to starting the season with a win but he will know it's easier said than done. The good news is that he should have his key players fit and ready to go.
Former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson is the key attraction for the team and he is set to make his Saudi Pro League debut in the midfield.
The club's latest training session involved Hamdan Al-Shamrani in his first session following his recent one-season loan arrival and also the participation of Brazilian player Vitinho following his recovery from an injury that he had suffered prior to the matches against Al-Jazira and Al-Ahly.
Al-Ettifaq predicted XI: Victor; Tisserand, Khateeb, Mousa, Dossari, Oumar; Henderson, Ghamdi, Hazazi, Ozdemir, Dembele.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Al-Oaisher, Al-Haiti, Victor, Al-Dawaa, Baljoush |
| Defenders: | Al-Dossari, Hendry, Al Mousa, Hawsawi, Al-Dossari, Tisserand, Al-Sayyaf, Oumar, Al-Alaeli, Al-Khateeb, Al Mousa, Al-Shamrani |
| Midfielders: | Al-Kuwaykibi, Al-Ghamdi, Henderson, Hazazi, Al-Ghamdi, Al-Ghamdi, Hazazi, Vitinho, Al-Maqadi, Al-Dossari, Kaabi, Mahrazi, Özdemir |
| Forwards: | Dembele, Qarradi, Quaison |
Al-Nassr team news
Al-Nassr will miss the services of their star player Cristiano Ronaldo after the forward picked up an injury in their previous outing. Ronaldo scored a brace in that game but was taken off with five minutes left after sustaining the injury which is likely to force him out of multiple games.
The other star in the team, new signing Sadio Mane, is set to make his Saudi Pro League debut on Monday.
Al-Nassr predicted XI: Al-Aqidi; S. Al-Ghannam, Lajami, Madu, Telles; Brozovic, Al-Khaibari, Fofana; Talisca, Adam, Mane.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Ospina, Al-Aqidi, Al-Bukhari, Abdullah, Ozaybi |
| Defenders: | Al-Amri, Madu, Lajami, Al-Fatil, Konan, Telles, Al-Shammari, S. Al-Ghannam, Al-Boushal |
| Midfielders: | Brozovic, Al-Khaibari, Al-Hassan, Ali, Fofana, Al-Sulaiheem, Talisca, Martinez, Al-Najei, Mane, Ghareeb, Mashripov, K. Al-Ghannam, Yahya |
| Forwards: | Adam, Maran |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 05/2023 | Al Ittifaq 1 - 1 Al Nassr | Saudi Pro League |
| 01/2023 | Al Nassr 1 - 0 Al Ittifaq | Saudi Pro League |
| 03/2022 | Al Ittifaq 2 - 2 Al Nassr | Saudi Pro League |
| 12/2021 | Al Nassr 1 - 0 Al Ittifaq | King's Cup |
| 10/2021 | Al Nassr 0 - 1 Al Ittifaq | Saudi Pro League |